Jugglers Wow Passerby in Bryant Park

Juggling enthusiasts meet in the park to practice and entertain onlookers

Walk through Bryant Park around noon this summer, and you'll see something you might not expect--a group of jugglers entertaining audiences and passing along their craft to curious onlookers.

As the bright yellow and orange bowling pins fly through the air, the small crowd watching to the side is impressed. Some less experienced jugglers have more trouble, and the balls they're learning with tumble to the ground.

Alex Dyer is one of the juggling teachers. He says this hobby brightens people's day.

"It makes people smile pretty much one hundred percent of the time, even if they're not learning it perfectly well," said Dyer.

Dyer says he started juggling in Bryant Park in 2009 as a way to relax during his lunch hour. He says people just started showing up to juggle with him. Now he says there are over 200 members in the club, and they teach newcomers 6 days a week.

Jeff Mitchell is one of those fellow jugglers. He says he enjoys sharing the activity with others.

"There's a tremendous amount of satisfaction teaching people how to do it. So many people don't think they can do it, but everybody kind of wants to do it, and it's not as hard as they think," explained Mitchell.

Janet Richman is another juggler who occasionally teaches beginners. She likes the feeling of community in the park.

"It's the camaraderie amongst the jugglers and anybody who wants to learn," said Richman.

There's a wide range of skill among the Bryant Park jugglers. But everybody has one thing in common. They're all smiling.